1000, 500, and 250 words a day: Personal Writer Challenge ... With Leeway
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As some of you already know, I've been doing more illustration work lately. Right now, my main illustration project is Michael Ian Black's I'M BORED picture book for Simon & Schuster. I've also been doing a ton more sketching to improve my craft.
The writer side of me, however, has been languishing. I signed up for NaNoWriMo but had to give it up because of illness in mid-November -- that's when I started thinking about how much I need to get back to regular writing. And how I need to revisit my Daily Writing Goal challenge myself!
To be realistic, I'm going to start out next year by aiming for 250 Words A Day (and only count words written for my novel(s)). Hopefully I'll find 250 words way too easy and upgrade to a higher word count goal.
Making New Year's Resolutions involving a daily writing goal can be a dangerous thing, I know, but I need something like this. What about the rest of you? Anyone else up to a daily writing goal challenge for next year?
The goal of the Inkygirl Wordcount Challenge simple: to inspire writers to write.
Too often, I find that writers start motivational challenges like NaNoWrimo with enthusiasm and good intentions, but give up when they start missing their daily targets for more than a few days in a row...undermining their confidence and defeating the purpose of the original challenge. I wanted a challenge with build-in leeway, to take into account that sometimes Life Gets In The Way.
I also wanted a challenge that lasted the whole year rather than just a month.
You can find out more about the 250, 500 and 1000 Words A Day Challenge here.
So who's in with me? And wordcount goal are you setting?
Monday, December 20, 2010 at 1:49 PM
Reader Comments (5)
I'm in! I've done NaNoWriMo 6 times and won twice. This year I was finishing my MFA creative thesis while attempting Nano and got behind by a few days then quit. I'm still planning to work on my novel, just outside the confines of NaNo. I think 250 words a day is totally realistic. I'd love to set up goals for my writing in 2011 and try to stick with them most of the time. That's the thing-- it's not realistic to do it every single day (illness, family obligations, a much-needed break occasionally, etc), so I want to make it ok to miss a day here and there so I won't feel guilty.
Thanks for writing this post and suggesting this challenge! I'm totally on board!
--Kristin
I too bailed on NaNo due to illness and have been freaking myself out all month over my inability to put three words together. I've written over 3000 words on my new WIP. Unfortunately, they've been the first three pages four times. Arg! I just decided today that, until this thing gets on it's feet, I'm settling for 200 words a day. It's the only way for me to build momentum.
I'm in! I've decided on 250 words a day so I can begin slowly...With a column, two blogs and books I need/have to write, I think this is great to help me get a flow going as 2011 begins!
Great idea - thank you for the challenge :)
--Anne
I'm in! I've been desperately trying to get back on track after falling off the "write every day" wagon. Life creeps in and eats up time and motivation so fast. I'm going to start at 250 for this week, and then hopefully bump higher. It's hard not to want to push yourself, but then I personally just wind up battling guilt and wanting to do it even less. Thanks for the challenge!
This challenge works for me. I generally go straight to the computer when I get up (it's right outside the bedroom door) and check email, etc. and I can easily fritter away half an hour. Just think how much further along the writing would be if each of those half hours produced 250 words! New rule for 2011: Novel first, then the Internet. And generous forgiveness when it doesn't happen.